City takes a look at flat-pack homes

Sep 11 2007 by Mary Murtagh, Liverpool Daily Post

SWEDISH-STYLE flat-pack homes could become a regular sight in Merseyside after a conference was held in Liverpool.

The designers of timber-framed BoKlok houses are a big hit in their native Sweden, and 100 of the flats and houses are already under construction in the North East.

Yesterday, managers from Merseyside’s housing market pathfinder New Heartlands were joined by housing professionals from around the UK to discuss if they could be the solution to providing affordable housing.

BoKlok, which is Swedish for Live Smart, is an idea which was created in the mid-1990s when housing construction was at a standstill in Sweden even though there was a real need for affordable housing.

The concept is the brainchild of Scandinavian furniture giant Ikea and construction company Skanska.

The homes are quick to build and are environmentally friendly.

Pauline Davis, managing director of New Heartlands, said: “It’ll be really interesting to see how it has worked both in Sweden and how it is being adapted and used in the UK by our colleagues in Gateshead.”